An internist is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of
adults. People might choose an internist as their primary doctor for regular
checkups and for treating illness.
Internists can further specialize in areas such as:
- Adolescent medicine (conditions and diseases
common to teenagers).
- Allergy, or immunology (immune system
diseases).
- Cardiology (diseases and conditions of the
heart and blood vessels).
- Endocrinology
(diseases of the endocrine glands, which regulate
hormones).
- Gastroenterology (diseases of the digestive
system).
- Geriatric medicine (conditions and diseases in older
adults).
- Hematology (diseases of the blood and blood
system).
- Infectious disease (complex
infections).
- Nephrology (diseases of the kidney and
urinary system).
- Oncology (cancer).
- Pulmonology (lung
diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia).
- Rheumatology
(immune system diseases and diseases of the joints).
- Sports
medicine (the treatment of injuries to the bones, muscles, joints, tendons, or
ligaments that result from physical activity).
Internists can be board-certified by the American Board of Internal
Medicine, which is recognized by the American Board of Medical
Specialties.